Top Ten Tuesday-Books That Deceived Me

Have you ever been tricked by a book? Maybe the cover was wrong or the summary was deceptive. Maybe you were expecting light and fun but got heavy and serious. This trickery isn’t always a bad thing; I have discovered some gems this way. But doesn’t it stink when a book tricks you into believing it’s the best thing since____________(fill in the blank with things like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight)and it just doesn’t live up to your expectations? Yeah, it happens. Well, this week The Broke and The Bookish want to know which books tricked us. Pay attention and don’t let yourself be fooled!

1. Shine by Lauren Myracle
Why: Don’t be fooled by that gorgeous cover. This is one tough book. It’s amazing, but there is nothing flowery about it.

2. The Ranger’s Apprenticeseries by John Flanagan
Why: The covers. I mean seriously? This is a book that I would pass over without a second thought. Add in the summaries and it’s a done deal. Not for me…except I decided to pick up the first book because I was worried that I wasn’t reading enough books with strong guy appeal. Oh, man am I glad I did! I cannot gush enough about how amazing these books are. There is action and battles and all that good stuff guys like, but there is also humor and a teeny tiny bit of romance and characters that grow and develop and make you proud. See? Gushing.

3. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Why: It’s historical fiction. This is not my go-to genre, so imagine my surprise to discover that it’s so much more. It’s the past, it’s the present, it’s….oh, I can’t spoil the surprise!

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.
Why: Because it was supposed to be the next big thing after Twilight. This book elicited very strong, negative emotions. I was also lured in by the pretty, pretty cover. Blah. Not for me.

6. Pop by Gordon Korman.
Why: It’s about football. That’s what you would think if you looked at the cover and read the summary. But really, it’s so much more. It’s sad and funny and heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was so surprised to discover that I had to read this book in one sitting.

7. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detourby Morgan Matson
Why: It’s not all cutesy summer time romance. There is some serious stuff going on in this one. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of sweet, kissy, romance, but it’s not fluff. Personally, that’s how I like my sweet, kissy, romances. Fluff free.

8. Born Wickedby Julie Spotswood
Why: The summary sounds super awesome and the cover is gorgeous. I was so sad to discover I couldn’t even finish it. Slow-paced and flat characters caused me to give up about 50 pages in.

9. All These Things I’ve Doneby Gabrielle Zevin
Why: See above. Seriously. Maybe Holly Black set the bar too high for mobster books. I love, love, love her Curse Workers series, which is like The Sopranos with magic. I guess I was hoping for a bit of the same with All These Things I’ve Done. I was so bored I couldn’t be bothered to finish.

10. Blood Red Roadby Moira Young
Why: The blurb on the back of the ARC is super cheesy. Also, the dialect was difficult to get used to. You know what? This book is fabulous. I think it got lost in the Hunger Games/Divergent shuffle, which is a shame. I can’t wait for the sequel, Rebel Heart.

7 responses to “Top Ten Tuesday-Books That Deceived Me”

Heya, thanks for stopping by my blog! I totally agree with you on Shiver, for me it was a huge fail and a no-no. I’ve debated adding Shine and Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour to my TBR, but now I’m definitely reading them. Thanks for the list! 🙂

Oh noes!!! Born Wicked is sitting in my Nook just waiting! Who knows, maybe I’ll like it. I’ve also been wanting to read All These Things I’ve Done. Maybe I’ll try that one before I tackle Holly Black’s series (also on my TBR list!) I totally agree with you on Shiver. I’m still trying to get through book 2 and I just don’t know if I’ll ever make it.

Oh noes! I have Born Wicked waiting on my Nook and All These Things I’ve Done waiting at the school library! I’ll definitely try that one before I tackle Holly Black. I totally agree with you on Shiver. I just don’t see what the big deal was on that book. And Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is one of the best books ever! I constantly stop and think about that book!
Tammy C. (www.mysticbooklover.blogspot.com)

YES! Amy & Roger..I love that book but I totally thought it was going to be a fluffy road trip/romance book (which would have also been fine with me!) but it turned out to be sooo much more and a fave read last year!